


Que Será

by oxen_fr33



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Conductor!Neku because oomph, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Game, UG Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 19:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15226074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxen_fr33/pseuds/oxen_fr33
Summary: Neku struggles with being the new Conductor. He can barely get a grip on his own life, let alone the lives of others.





	Que Será

“Joshua’s finally done it,” Neku announced, crossing into WildKat. “He’s lost his mind.”

Hanekoma sighed and started preparing the coffee that Neku usually ordered. The barista swore that the kid considered the café somewhat of a second home to the point where he half-expected Neku to take his shoes off at the door whenever he walked in. “What did he do this time?”

Neku took a seat at the bar, buried his face in his hands, and groaned.

“You know, if I had any other customers right now, they would think that you’re the one who’s lost their mind.”

“I’m close to it, at least.” Neku’s eyes peeked out from between his fingers. “Does this UG stuff get any easier over time?” he asked hopefully.

 

Hanekoma considered the question, quietly humming to himself.   
The truth was that eventually the Game settled into clockwork. The weeks tended to blend together more often than not, with the only one of much interest for a few years being the Long Game. Then again, the Angel had been at it for a long time, and Producers typically played a less active role than the Conductor. Filing reports wasn’t terribly exciting neither. “Yeah, eventually,” Hanekoma answered. And it wasn’t a complete truth; Joshua was and always would be a pain, especially when it came to the Game. 

“Great.”

Hanekoma chuckled. “It’s not that bad.”

“It really is that bad.”

The fragrance of half-brewed coffee beans gradually filled the room. Neku had practically curled himself into a ball on the chair, like a turtle retreating into its shell. Hanekoma sensed that the young Conductor’s mind was going at a million miles per minute, so the two sat in silence for a while. He filled a white mug with the finished coffee and slid it across the counter. 

“Thanks.” Neku brought the mug to his lips, took a big gulp, and carefully set it down. He still looked frazzled, but he seemed slightly better than before, more willing to open up to Hanekoma. “He wants to make the Game harder,” Neku says as if increasing the difficulty of the Game is blasphemous. 

This information does not surprise Hanekoma. “What does the boss want to do?”  
“Make Players choose between their second shot at life and their Partner’s.” 

“That doesn’t sound too bad, Phones.” Hanekoma frowned. “You made it sound like he was going to force Players to fight him on the first day.”

“Don’t give him any ideas. The Game is hard enough as it is. It’ll make Partners mad at each other, nothing will get done, and it’s not like many Players end up winning anyway.”

Hanekoma pursed his lips. “The thing is that the Game is always evolving. Josh, especially when he’s feeling particularly Imaginative, changes up the rules and structure often. It’s what makes him a good Composer.” He shrugged, his demeanor entirely too casual for talking about a game of extended life and death. 

Regardless of the quality of Joshua’s Composer-hood, Neku still felt annoyed. He knew that, in the end, he had no say in the matter. Joshua said what to do and Neku made sure that the Composer’s orders were carried out. Even the extra-sweetened coffee tasted bitter on his tongue.

“If you think he’s being too unfair, you could always report him to the Higher Plane.”

Neku snorted. Out of the question. Despite never dealing with the Higher Plane, he understood that Angels were troublesome and annoying and making reports was the equivalent of jamming your toe on a hard surface. “Yeah, right. Screw that.”

Hanekoma shrugged again. Noticing the tension radiating off Neku, he sought to change the subject. “Underground aside, how’s your life going?”

“It’s fine.”

“And school?”

Neku nearly choked on coffee. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, nearly coughing up a lung. “Neglected,” he said bitterly, a sad smile on his face. “It wasn’t like I was an honors student before, but my only satisfactory grade is in art class.”

“While that’s certainly regrettable, you know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone in the UG who was good at school.”

Neku raised his eyebrows. “Really? Not even Joshua?”

“Nope. Skipped class, only showed up for tests. He hung out here when he was supposed to be at school.”

Neku was quiet for a few seconds, processing this information. “You’ve known him for that long, huh?”

“I’ve known him since he was a kid.” Hanekoma didn’t regularly think about back when Joshua had been alive, because he was always one to live in the present and look to the future. Sometimes, though, glancing down memory road was nice. 

If Joshua Kiryu’s life had been one thing, it definitely wasn’t happy. He was a lonely kid, someone who shut others out and repelled them with his pessimistic attitude. Noise clung to him like moths to a flame to the point where Players recognized him as the capital-S-Someone to farm opponents from. Despite this, Imagination ran off the kid in waves. Hanekoma wasn’t sure if the Game attracted him or he attracted the Game. Anyway, when he died, someone like that was bound to win and become a Reaper. How quickly he had become Composer, however, was astonishing. 

And, of course, Neku didn’t see how similar the two were. 

“I think I’m going to go talk to him,” Neku said quietly. 

Hanekoma nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Neku slid the emptied coffee mug toward Hanekoma and stood up. “Good talk, Mr. H. Thanks for the coffee, too.”

“Anytime. I’m guessing that this is going on your tab?”

“Yep. Wow, you really are one of the best people I know.”

Hanekoma whistled softly. “Thought so.”

Neku bid the barista farewell and left the café to go find a certain Composer.

 

“I can’t make the Game too easy,” Joshua countered thoughtfully. “Offering that deal is just another way to weed out Players. It’s just another test. The ones who would willingly kill their Partners obviously lacks the compassion to complete the Game, let alone deserve to be revived.”

“It’s self-preservation. It just seems unfair to say ‘Okay, you can either kill this person or win back your life.’”

“It’s crime and punishment, simple as that,” Joshua replied coolly. “Besides, if they were smart enough, they would recognize that it was a bluff.”

Joshua and Neku sat in Dead God’s Pad, Joshua perched on the couch with Neku sprawled out on the floor. As over-the-top as it was, the latter considered the fish tank floor to be pretty cool. Joshua had been expecting Neku to come. After all, he and the Conductor were linked, and Joshua was omniscient to some degree. Joshua knew that this was a sore subject for Neku, who had faced a similar predicament the first week of the Long Game. However, everything turned out fine in the end and Neku had learned a valuable listen, so Joshua didn’t understand why Neku was so adamant in keeping this feature out. 

“Do you have any ideas, Neku?” Joshua passed the Conductor a messy red binder. 

Neku flipped through the binder’s contents to see that it was full of Game ideas. Some had been implemented, and some hadn’t. Some were recurring aspects of Games, and others were only used once or twice. In the margins of the notebook paper, Joshua drew tiny intricate sketches in black or blue ink. He set the binder aside. “Nope. Fresh out.”

“I knew I could count on you,” Joshua replied sarcastically. 

“Okay, but, if we went through with your idea, we would only be able to apply it to a few pairs.” 

Joshua clicked his tongue. “You’re right. They would get suspicious if we offered the same opportunity to everyone.” 

“Yeah.”

 

“You know, I have another idea. It would difficult, but I think we can do it.”

Something about the unnatural sparkle in Joshua’s eyes scared Neku. 

“How about we suspend the Partner system?”

Neku’s response was instant. “No.”

“Why not?”

“The Game is next week. That’s not enough time to devise a new set of rules.”

“Let me explain,” Joshua continued firmly. “The Players would still need to rely on each other; there just wouldn’t be any official pacts. In other words, if one dies, then the other wouldn’t be doomed. People are free to group up as they please, or face erasure. Of course, we would have to enforce rules that prevent Players from attacking each other.” He shrugged. “But that’s easy. We have reapers for a reason.”

“Do we have to change things?”

“Eventually, yes. The Reaper’s Game always changing is what keeps it fresh, what keeps it winnable. You have to keep the reapers on their toes or else they become too good. Also, the same Game again and again is boring.” Joshua paused. “That’s why the Long Game was such a big deal,” he added pointedly.

“Gotcha.” Neku still seemed unsure.

“Okay, we’ll keep the rules the same for this Game,” Joshua agreed. “I keep forgetting that you’re a new Conductor. “

“Same rules,” Neku repeated slowly. 

“Yuh-huh. At least that’s settled.”

 

Neku sighed. “Am I even ready to be a Conductor? Don’t you usually move up the ranks and all that?”

“Well, considering that I was a reaper for, like, three days before becoming Composer, I think you’re more than ready.”

Joshua’s words did little to soothe Neku. Being compared to him felt unreasonable. Based on what Hanekoma had said, Joshua had been an enigma. He was born to be in the UG, unlike Neku who desperately clung to what little he had in the RG like a life preserver. (It is a life preserver, Neku thought bitterly. Without his friends, he would have gladly accepted the dead part of being Conductor. For now, being a half-powered living Conductor was fine.)

Reading Neku’s thoughts, Joshua offered some comfort, “You were chosen by Shibuya for this task specifically.” 

“You’re Shibuya.”

“Shibuya is a part of me,” Joshua corrected. “And, likewise, I am a big part of Shibuya, yet Shibuya itself is a separate entity. I didn’t randomly choose you to be my proxy in the Game, Neku; I was compelled to. I rule the UG, but Shibuya makes its own decisions.”

Neku considered being wanted by a city itself, especially Shibuya, was probably one of the cooler aspects of his existence. “That’s cool.”

“Frankly, Shibuya wants you dead and I’m inclined to agree with it,” Joshua added plainly. 

Suddenly, the contemporary and luxurious room felt more like a trap than a living space. Neku’s heart sped up in his chest. He choked out a, “Wow, thanks.” He sat up and hugged his knees to his chest. He didn’t feel so at home anymore. To be honest, the thought of dying again made him sick. The thought of being stuck with no other option than being Conductor made him feel constricted. Neku didn’t want to leave Shibuya, he really didn’t, but was nice to think he could. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything about it,” Joshua said as if him killing Neku was an utterly absurd idea, “but it’s oddly possessive of you. You have a strong Imagination and the capacity to improve, so naturally the city likes you. The UG always has a place for someone like that.”

Neku frowned. “If I died, I would have to really die, huh?”

“Redundant but explain.”

“There would be a body. I wouldn’t be allowed to leave Shibuya…”

Joshua inhaled sharply, sitting up on the couch. He nonchalantly twirled a strand of his hair, something he did when he was deep in thought. “Not exactly. Your body can be taken care of without people knowing that you’ve died. While you can’t leave Shibuya, I don’t see why you would have to.”

 

“I… don’t know.”

“One day, you’re going to have to. There’s a reason I always talk to you in the RG: my full vibe can affect humans to an unhealthy degree. Even the low frequency I maintained to be your Partner for the second week would be harmful in the long run.”

“Define ‘unhealthy.’”

“Being near the Composer as an alive Conductor is like receiving a high. You can become dependent, need it as much as you need to breathe oxygen. You won’t be satisfied till Shibuya is the only thing running through your veins.” 

“That sounds rough,” Neku whispered softly. He gazed down at the floor below, at the fish that swam underneath his fingertips. He wondered if they were okay with the state of their lives, being walked on constantly with their “sky” being that room. Maybe the fish wanted to leave and go off on an adventure and find themselves and was he really projecting on these fish?

“It is rough,” Joshua agreed. 

“Do I have to die now?” Neku asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Joshua shook his head. “No, you have time. Granted, hanging around me everyday is doing you no good.”

“Um… should I go then?”

Joshua giggled, his laugh light and bubbly. “A couple of more minutes won’t hurt. Besides, I like talking to you; you’re good company. I like you.”

“Thanks,” Neku responded sarcastically. “You’re fun to talk to, as well.” Most of their conversations fixated on the Game, though.

“You know, we can talk about more than the Game.”

“Get out of my head.”

“You think too loud to not be in your head, Neku dear.” 

Neku stuck out his tongue. 

Joshua cleared his throat. “Moving on, I want to show you something.” He extended his hand toward Neku.

Neku reluctantly reached out, his hand feeling tingly when Joshua’s fingers wrapped it. His heart felt like it was in his throat. 

“You’re blushing.”

“Shut up!”

“Focus, Neku,” Joshua instructed calmly, choosing to drop the previous comment. “Try to raise your frequency to the highest level you can go.” The natural boost in frequency given to Neku through physical contact with the Composer was enough to allow the former to easily shift into the UG. The highest frequency Neku had ever been was the frequency a common reaper possessed. Now that he was above that, his brain felt giddy and out-of-it. Then his ears started ringing. For the first time in his life, he heard the Music. 

At first, Shibuya’s Music was overwhelming. The fact that Joshua was holding one of his hands was the reason why Neku didn’t immediately cover his ears. It was a disorganized cacophony of sounds. Then the Music started to take shape, each note shifting into something more pleasant. Rather than a million different songs being played at once, the song became a pleasant amalgamation. The melody embedded itself into Neku’s mind, wrapping around him like a warm embrace. If he focused enough, he could separate his friend’s individual songs from the rest. Judging from the upbeat sound of their melodies, they seemed to be in good spirits. Then, he found Joshua’s song, a slightly less intense version of Shibuya as a whole. The song played again and again like an earworm. If songs could have had a physical form, Neku would have reached out and felt it.

“And that’s enough for today,” Joshua chirped cheerfully, wearing an all-knowing smirk. He dropped Neku’s hand.

Neku immediately mourned the lost of contact. The Music around him, so vibrant and liberating, dissipated as if never there. “You’re beautiful,” he remarked in his post-high daze. 

Joshua rolled his eyes. “Thanks. You don’t sound so bad yourself.”

“Shibuya is really beautiful.”

“I know.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you killed me again.”

“No, Neku, you would,” Joshua explained patiently. The influence of Shibuya spoke through Neku’s mouth, relaying a message that Joshua already understood; the city really wanted Neku dead, huh? “The second you regain your seconds, you’re going to regret you said that.”

Neku blinked rapidly, finally cooling down. “Huh?”

“Nothing. Say, don’t you have some place to go?”

“Is that a polite way of telling me to get out?”

“It’s a polite way of reminding you to maintain limited contact while you still want to be alive. Showing you the Music was a risky move.”

“Why did you show me?” Neku asked, his voice taking on an accusatory tone.

“I wanted to expose you to it. Becoming a full Conductor allows you to listen to the Music whenever you want. You’re part of that Music. The main melody becomes part of your individual one, you actually get wings, and you’re generally cooler than you are when you’re alive.”

“Generally deader,” Neku countered.

“Why do you care so much? Just don’t tell your friends or family that you’re dead, and they won’t notice anything.”

 

“I care because it’s my life.” Neku stood up and walked to the door, not looking forward to walking through the sewers again. He looked over his shoulder back at Joshua, who seemed indifferent to the whole situation. “See you tomorrow for Game planning.”

“Alright. Have a nice night, Neku.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> ;-)   
> I'm tired.   
> \----


End file.
